Scubadog came, Manor Animals rocked, She Bears roared...

So you saw those posters around Athens that said "Scubadog is coming" in BIG BOLD LETTERS, right? I couldn't stop laughing every single time I passed one. (Sidenote: my roommate stole one and is threatening to hang it up in our apartment. I would never get any work done again.)

It seems Scubadog came and conquered last night (October 15) at Casa! Of course I missed it, because I can't show up to anything less than 45 minutes late. I spent the rest of the night kicking myself, but alas, the rest of the tunes were enjoyable enough for me to soon forget.

It was She Bears' CD release show last night, and everyone I've ever met came out to celebrate. Did I mention it was a free show? It was, which I think was actually a really smart move for She Bears AND Casa (the bar was BUMPING -- I waited 15 minutes to get a damn amaretto sour, which I promptly sucked down in about 4.2 minutes. Argh). It made me a little sad, though, to think that the reason last night's show was the most crowded local show I've been to in the last couple months was because it was free. I mean, I get it -- most of us are "poor college students" who don't want to spend money to listen to some band we've never heard of. But I can't gush over the local scene in Athens enough. Really.

ANYWAY, it was great to bop around and talk to a bunch of folks (my throat was actually sore from talking so much last night), but of course, the music is the important part! I arrived in time to see most of the set from new band Manor Animals, comprised of the savory fellows who live in Bruce Manor this year. A girl I knew said something along the lines of: "Oh, this band is Russenorsk but some other name and some other dudes in it, too." I laughed. But, honestly, the sound is different; Manor Animals had me dancing my tush off with an upbeat and poppy/spazzy brand of indie rock. I just think people see Tim Race singing and playing guitar and Zach Inscho on the drums and get confused. No need.

She Bears were, of course, the main draw last night. The show marked the release of the band's first full-length, I Found Myself Asleep. As the band played through the album, I surely did not find myself asleep. Instead I found myself dancing, swaying, and overall, just enjoying the band's anthemic sound. It was a good night for local music, and I'll just leave it at that. -- Jillian Mapes, ACRN Editorial Director